The main problem is a lack of leadership. Mchale is gone and he was never really a strong leader. Now there is a power vacuum... which creates conflict when there is not a clear leader. Easiest fix? Howard has to go and we need strong role players. Build around Harden and we can win. Hardest fix? Get a real coach. Problem is... not a lot of good coaches available, and they sure as hell don't want to touch the Rocket's organization. I like Howard, but not enough to forgive his free throw shooting and this fake training from Hakeem. Did he not realize that a dangerous post player has to shoot even a short jumper? Is it low iq? I don't know, but I am not excited about a future 14 round pick and watching us get another good player for the vipers.
Dwight kind of burned that one 'my superstar guard is an ******* so I'm leaving' token with LA. He needs to shut up and ball.
How can anyone take the guy seriously? There are so many better options to put on ESPN and they chose TMac? Whatever he has to say just take with grain of salt.
T-Whack projecting his own "You will be iso-ed" BS on H&H. Harden & Howard >>>>>>>>>>> any season of the Rockets with T-Lack. Yao, Battier, & Artest >>>>>>>>>>> any season of the Rockets with T-Lack.
I think that this line of thinking by some of our esteemed compatriots here on Clutchfans, basketballholic...that James Harden, with all of his prodigious offensive talent, can't be as effective playing "...off the ball..."... ...is about as baffling a notion as any I've seen entertained here in a while. And that right there is saying something, given what goes on around here. Look. For me, the whole idea of having a player with Harden's ability is that it provides a "worst-case-scenario" option for your team offensively. If all else fails, you give the ball to the Bearded One and take your chances. ...of course, in theory at least, you'd have a couple dozen other things going on before you got to that "worst-case-scenario" option... ...which is why, at the end of the day, you've got to get an offensive structure in place that gives players room to not only contribute consistently, but to be accountable and even adaptive in the midst of a game. You can't build "chemistry" among teammates with no direction, no roles, and ultimately lazy or indifferent offensive and/or defensive approaches, because you've got "star" players on your team. If you're of the mindset that the team goes where the "star" leads...then it becomes all the more important that the "star" is echoing the coach's sentiment. Because one way or another...sooner or later... ...you get out of things (in a zero-sum circumstance, like pro sports) about exactly what you put into it. And teams win in a team sport. You can give out medals to individuals...or publicly execute traitors to the cause if it gives you the warm-fuzzies inside.... ...but as much as we'd like to think otherwise, you don't win in the NBA with individual talent alone. It might be enough to get you in the conversation. But your argument will be weak. It's absurd to think that James Harden playing with less primary offensive responsibility is somehow counter to what would be most effective for the Rockets. Particularly considering whatever "difficulty" he and Dwight Howard might have playing together offensively. I've never subscribed to the idea of both Harden and Howard playing offensively on the same side of the floor, for instance, because Howard himself is limited in what he can do individually...limited meaning predictable. Predictability doesn't necessarily mean ineffective, but if Harden does often bristle at the notion of running a pick-and-roll play with Howard, that is reason enough to move Harden "off-the-ball", and to the other side of the court. Harden's mindset would seem to be that of a guy looking for his own shot. That's not a bad thing at all, but it's bad to ask a guy like that to decide who gets to take what shot and when. Harden doesn't need to be accommodated offensively, not in the way Howard and most of the rest of the team has to. Harden's a guy, we used to say when I was younger, would always get his money. The trick is to convince the guy that he can get the same check over here on the baseline or over there on the wing, or out on the break...not just from up here at the top of the key.... ...and for whatever else it might be worth...the fact that Tracy McGrady's worthlessness is what makes mention of the depressingly obvious (not actually anything about whether or not Howard and Harden "like" each other...nobody outside of that locker room can really know that)...has little to do with the certitude of the observation.
And then what? We know in this league you can't win solo aka Allen Iverson teams, he is not Jordan. He going to have to share the spotlight with at least another star. Unless you land a Phil Jackson type of coach who is able to manage divas. And nope Shaq had not jumper what so ever. And Andre Drummond is a worst FT shooter with no jumper and I bet you will take that guy any day. Dwight just need more involvement on offense. Like everybody said, you have to keep the big guys happy.
idk... in games DeAndre Jordan gets 16 or 18 shots is he putting up 28 or 36 points like dwight has this year?
Don't know what is so difficult for you people to understand about how free throws factor into the equation. The dude shoots 53% of the time on over 7 FTA per game. That's another 3-4 shots a game not factored into the equation that the team is lucky to get 1 point per possession on. Dwight is more like DeAndre than he is Shaq. One guy understands his role, DeAndre, and another thinks he is better than he is, Dwight. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Dwight is the problem. At least he doesn't appear to be. But if he's really constantly complaining about his touches in the low post when his FG% is an aberration due to dunks and layups, then he is one of the problems. Dwight should get the ball during the flow of the game. He has horrible hands catching the ball down low, has very few low post moves, and generally isn't a good player in the offensive low post.
This! Stan used him the proper way in Orlando, which is on the move, mostly off PnR. The occasional post up play is fine, especially if he gets deep post position. If you start giving him a bunch of consecutive back your man down post up plays, that's where you get in trouble. He's too turnover prone, plus you end up with empty possessions when he so often misses free throws. Lately the Rockets have been featuring Dwight in the post with the bench unit. This is a bad idea in my opinion, it slows down the pace and turns the game into a half court style game. The second unit doesn't have good outside shooters to effectively play that way. If the coach is going to continue to play guys like Lawson, Brewer, and Jones, they are better utilized playing uptempo, getting out in transition. None of those guys are going to excel in a half court game. If they want to involve Dwight more offensively with that group, they should have him running more PnR with Lawson. Last year one of the strengths of the bench was the transition game, they played at an almost frantic pace. They had Smith pushing the ball finding Brewer on the break and Terry for transition threes. They need to get back to playing that style for bench to be effective again, with Lawson getting out in the open-court. Going to Howard in the post is not going to work with that group.
